Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Council operating costs rank second lowest in NZ

Council operating costs rank second lowest in NZ

The 2018 Ratepayers’ Report shows that the Kāpiti Coast District Council continues to perform strongly in terms of operating costs per ratepayer, ranking second lowest in the country for the second year running.

Mayor K Gurunathan says he’s pleased to see the Taxpayers’ Union report show the Council performing so well in terms of efficiency when it comes to the day-to-day costs of providing services across the District.

“The report shows that the Council is a fairly lean organisation when compared to other councils throughout New Zealand, which is consistent with our approach to spending less in order to pay back more and help keep rates affordable,” said the Mayor.

Chair of the Operations and Finance Committee Councillor Michael Scott says he’s comfortable with the report’s findings.

“Right now, our Council’s primary focus is to live within our financial means. Despite our operating costs being low we know we have some work to do to reduce our debt levels and we’re already taking steps to pay off our borrowings faster.

“For example, we’re using the majority of this year’s surplus to pay off debt. Over the 20 years of our long term plan we’ll be repaying almost $30 million.

“This does mean that we need to make some tough calls but it will ensure we can meet the needs of our communities both now and in the future,” Councillor Michael Scott said.

“Last year we reduced our capital programme by $7.5 million to reduce borrowing levels.”

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.